Romanian Defence Minister Resigns Over CV Falsification Amid Growing Security Concerns

Ionut Mosteanu faced significant pressure following a media investigation released on Thursday that uncovered discrepancies in his educational credentials.

Romania's defence minister submitted his resignation on Friday after acknowledging he made a "mistake" regarding his university qualifications on his curriculum vitae, amid growing controversy over alleged falsifications in his resume.

Ionut Mosteanu, who admitted to including a university he never attended on his CV, stated he did not want this controversy to distract the NATO member nation during a period when both Romania and Europe are "under attack from Russia".

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Romania has experienced multiple incidents of drone fragments landing on its territory and has reported several drone incursions.

Most recently, a drone crashed in eastern Romania near the Ukrainian border on Tuesday.

Romanian authorities have also accused Moscow of conducting "hybrid attacks," including interference in presidential elections last year that were subsequently invalidated.

"Today, I resigned from my position as minister of national defence," Mosteanu announced in a Facebook statement, explaining that he wanted the nation to remain concentrated on its "difficult mission".

"Romania and Europe are under attack from Russia. Our national security must be defended at all costs," he emphasized.

Mosteanu's position became untenable following Thursday's media investigation that exposed his false claim of graduating from a university he never attended.

In response to these revelations, he issued an apology the same day for what he characterized as "a mistake".

"In a CV I quickly put together in 2016 using a template I found online, there is a mistake that I admit embarrasses me. I didn't pay much attention to these details at the time," he explained via Facebook.

Mosteanu had only been appointed as defence minister in June this year when a new pro-European government formed after months of political instability.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced in an official statement that he would propose economy and tourism minister Radu Miruta to temporarily assume the defence portfolio.